Acker German, EnglishDenoted a person who lived near a field, derived from Middle English
aker or Middle High German
acker meaning "field".
Ackerman EnglishMeans
"ploughman", derived from Middle English
aker "field" and
man.
Ainsley ScottishFrom a place name: either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire. The place names themselves derive from Old English
anne "alone, solitary" or
ansetl "hermitage" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Appleby EnglishFrom the name of various English towns, derived from Old English
æppel "apple" and Old Norse
býr "farm, settlement".
Appleton EnglishFrom the name of several English towns, meaning "orchard" in Old English (a compound of
æppel "apple" and
tun "enclosure, yard").
Arkwright EnglishOccupational name meaning
"chest maker", from Middle English
arc meaning "chest, coffer" and
wyrhta meaning "maker, craftsman".
Ash EnglishFrom Old English
æsc meaning
"ash tree", indicating a person who lived near ash trees.
Ashley EnglishDenoted a person hailing from one of the many places in England that bear this name. The place name itself is derived from Old English
æsc "ash tree" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Ashton EnglishDenoted a person from one of the towns in England that bear this name, itself derived from Old English
æsc "ash tree" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Ashworth EnglishFrom an English place name meaning "ash enclosure" in Old English.
Atteberry EnglishMeans
"dweller at the fortified town" from Middle English
at and
burh "fortified place".
Ayton EnglishFrom the name of towns in Berwickshire and North Yorkshire. They are derived from Old English
ea "river" or
ieg "island" combined with
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Baines 2 EnglishFrom a nickname derived from Old English
ban "bones", probably for a thin person.
Baker EnglishOccupational name meaning
"baker", derived from Middle English
bakere.
Ball EnglishFrom Middle English
bal, Old English
beall meaning
"ball". This was either a nickname for a rotund or bald person, or a topographic name for someone who lived near a ball-shaped feature.
Barclay English, ScottishFrom the English place name
Berkeley, derived from Old English
beorc "birch" and
leah "woodland, clearing". The surname was imported to Scotland in the 12th century.
Barnett EnglishDerived from Old English
bærnet meaning "place cleared by burning".
Barton EnglishFrom a place name meaning "barley town" in Old English.
Beasley EnglishFrom the name of a place in Lancashire, from Old English
beos "bent grass" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Beech 2 EnglishOriginally a name for a person who lived near a beech tree, from Old English
bece.
Bentley EnglishFrom a place name derived from Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
leah "woodland, clearing". Various towns in England bear this name.
Benton EnglishDenoted someone who came from Benton, England, which is derived from Old English
beonet "bent grass" and
tun "enclosure".
Berry EnglishDerived from a place name, which was derived from Old English
burh "fortification".
Bird EnglishOccupational name for a person who raised or hunted birds.
Black EnglishMeans either
"black" (from Old English
blæc) or
"pale" (from Old English
blac). It could refer to a person with a pale or a dark complexion, or a person who worked with black dye.
Blackburn EnglishFrom the name of a city in Lancashire, meaning "black stream" in Old English.
Blake EnglishVariant of
Black. A famous bearer was the poet and artist William Blake (1757-1827).
Blakeley EnglishFrom name of various English places, derived from Old English
blæc "black" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Blakesley EnglishFrom the name of a town in Northamptonshire, itself meaning "Blæcwulf's meadow" in Old English.
Blæcwulf is a byname meaning "black wolf".
Bloodworth EnglishOriginally indicated someone from the town of Blidworth in Nottinghamshire, which was derived from the Old English byname
Blīþa (meaning "happy, blithe") combined with
worð "enclosure".
Bolton EnglishFrom any of the many places in England called Bolton, derived from Old English
bold "house" and
tun "enclosure".
Braddock EnglishFrom various locations derived from Old English meaning
"broad oak".
Bradford EnglishDerived from the name of the city of Bradford in West Yorkshire, which meant "broad ford" in Old English. This is also the name of other smaller towns in England.
Bradshaw EnglishFrom any of the places by this name in England, derived from Old English
brad "broad" and
sceaga "thicket".
Bridges EnglishOriginally denoted a person who lived near a bridge, or who worked as a bridgekeeper, derived from Middle English
brigge, Old English
brycg.
Brigham EnglishOriginally referred to one who came from a town called Brigham, meaning "homestead by the bridge" in Old English. This is the name of towns in Cumberland and Yorkshire.
Brinley EnglishPossibly from English places named
Brindley, derived from Old English
berned "burned" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Brook EnglishDenoted a person who lived near a brook, a word derived from Old English
broc.
Brown EnglishOriginally a nickname for a person who had brown hair or skin. A notable bearer is Charlie Brown from the
Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz.
Brownlow EnglishFrom Old English
brun meaning "brown" and
hlaw meaning "mound, small hill". The name was probably given to a family living on a small hill covered with bracken.
Bull EnglishFrom a nickname for a person who acted like a bull.
Burke English, IrishDerived from Middle English
burgh meaning
"fortress, fortification, castle". It was brought to Ireland in the 12th century by the Norman invader William de Burgh.
Burnham EnglishFrom the name of various towns in England, typically derived from Old English
burna "stream, spring" and
ham "home, settlement".
Burns 1 English, ScottishDerived from Old English
burna "stream, spring". A famous bearer was the Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759-1796).
Burrows EnglishTopographic name derived from Old English
beorg meaning
"hill, mountain" or
burg meaning
"fort". Alternatively, it could come from a compound of
bur "room, cottage, dwelling" and
hus "house".
Burton EnglishFrom a common English place name, derived from Old English meaning "fortified town".
Bush EnglishOriginally a name for a person who lived near a prominent bush or thicket.
Caldwell EnglishFrom various English place names derived from Old English
ceald "cold" and
wille "spring, stream, well".
Carman 1 EnglishOccupational name for a carter, from Middle English
carre "cart" (of Latin origin) and
man "man".
Cason EnglishFrom the English place name
Cawston, derived from the Old Norse given name
Kálfr combined with Old English
tun meaning "enclosure, yard, town".
Caulfield EnglishFrom a place name meaning
"cold field", from Old English
ceald "cold" and
feld "pasture, field".
Chadwick EnglishFrom the name of English towns meaning "settlement belonging to
Chad" in Old English.
Chapman EnglishOccupational name derived from Old English
ceapmann meaning
"merchant, trader".
Cheshire EnglishOriginally indicated a person from the county of Cheshire in England. Cheshire is named for its city
Chester.
Chester EnglishFrom the name of a city in England, derived from Latin
castrum "camp, fortress".
Church EnglishFrom the English word, derived from Old English
cirice, ultimately from Greek
κυριακόν (kyriakon) meaning "(house) of the lord". It probably referred to a person who lived close to a church.
Churchill EnglishFrom an English place name meaning
"church hill". A famous bearer was Winston Churchill (1874-1965), the British prime minister during World War II.
Clay EnglishMeans simply
"clay", originally referring to a person who lived near or worked with of clay.
Clayton EnglishFrom the name of various places meaning "clay settlement" in Old English.
Clifford EnglishDerived from various place names that meant "ford by a cliff" in Old English.
Clifton EnglishDerived from various place names meaning "settlement by a cliff" in Old English.
Clinton EnglishDerived from the English place name
Glinton, of uncertain meaning, or
Glympton, meaning "settlement on the River Glyme". This surname is borne by former American president Bill Clinton (1946-).
Cock EnglishDerived from the medieval nickname
cok meaning
"rooster, cock". The nickname was commonly added to given names to create diminutives such as
Hancock or
Alcock.
Cockburn Scottish, EnglishOriginally indicated someone who came from Cockburn, a place in Berwickshire. The place name is derived from Old English
cocc "rooster" and
burna "stream".
Colt EnglishOccupational name for a keeper of horses, derived from Middle English
colt.
Cook EnglishDerived from Old English
coc meaning
"cook", ultimately from Latin
coquus. It was an occupational name for a cook, a man who sold cooked meats, or a keeper of an eating house.
Coombs EnglishFrom Old English
cumb meaning
"valley", the name of several places in England.
Copperfield LiteratureCreated from the English words
copper and
field by the author Charles Dickens, who used it for the title character in his novel
David Copperfield (1850).
Crawford EnglishFrom a place name derived from Old English
crawe "crow" and
ford "river crossing". A notable bearer was the American actress Joan Crawford (1904-1977), born Lucille Fay LeSueur.
Dale EnglishFrom Old English
dæl meaning
"valley", originally indicating a person who lived there.
Dalton EnglishDerived from a place name meaning "valley town" in Old English. A notable bearer of the surname was the English chemist and physicist John Dalton (1766-1844).
Darling EnglishFrom a nickname or byname derived from Middle English
dereling, Old English
deorling, meaning
"darling, beloved one".
Darwin EnglishFrom the given name
Deorwine. A famous bearer was the British naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882).
Debenham EnglishOriginally denoted a person from the town of Debenham in Suffolk, derived from the name of the River Deben (meaning "deep" in Old English) combined with
ham meaning "home, settlement".
Deighton EnglishFrom English towns by this name, from Old English
dic "ditch" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Denman EnglishFrom Middle English
dene "valley" combined with
man.
Dexter EnglishOccupational name meaning
"dyer" in Old English (originally this was a feminine word, but it was later applied to men as well).
Dickman EnglishFrom Old English
dic "ditch" combined with
man "person, man". It was originally a name for a ditch digger or someone who lived near a ditch.
Downer EnglishName for someone who lived on or near a down, which is an English word meaning
"hill".
Dudley EnglishFrom a place name meaning "
Dudda's clearing" in Old English. The surname was borne by a British noble family.
Dunn English, Scottish, IrishDerived from Old English
dunn "dark" or Gaelic
donn "brown", referring to hair colour or complexion.
Dwerryhouse EnglishIndicated a person who worked or lived at a dyehouse, which is a place where dyeing was done.
Dyer EnglishOccupational name meaning
"cloth dyer", from Old English
deah "dye".
Earl EnglishFrom the aristocratic title, which derives from Old English
eorl meaning
"nobleman, warrior". It was either a nickname for one who acted like an earl, or an occupational name for a person employed by an earl.
Easton EnglishFrom the name of various places meaning "east town" in Old English.
Eaton EnglishFrom any of the various English towns with this name, derived from Old English
ea "river" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Eccleston EnglishDenoted a person from any of the various places named Eccleston in England, derived from Latin
ecclesia "church" (via Briton) and Old English
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Edison EnglishMeans
"son of Eda 2" or
"son of Adam". The surname was borne by American inventor Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931).
English EnglishDenoted a person who was of English heritage. It was used to distinguish people who lived in border areas (for example, near Wales or Scotland). It was also used to distinguish an Anglo-Saxon from a Norman.
Ewart 2 EnglishFrom the name of an English town, derived from Old English
ea "river" and
worþ "enclosure".
Fairburn EnglishFrom a place name meaning
"fern stream", from Old English
fearn "fern" and
burna "stream".
Fairclough EnglishFrom a place name meaning
"fair ravine, fair cliff" in Old English.
Farnham EnglishIndicated a person from any of the various towns named Farnham in England, notably in Surrey. Their names are from Old English
fearn "fern" and
ham "home, settlement" or
ham "water meadow, enclosure".
Fenn EnglishFrom a name for someone who dwelt near a marsh, from Old English
fenn meaning
"fen, swamp, bog".
Fenwick EnglishFrom an English place name, derived from Old English
fenn "fen, swamp, bog" and
wic "village, town".
Fields EnglishName for a person who lived on or near a field or pasture, from Old English
feld.
Flintstone Popular CultureFrom the English words
flint and
stone, created by Hanna-Barbera Productions for the caveman family (Fred, Wilma and Pebbles) in their animated television show
The Flintstones, which ran from 1960 to 1966.
Ford EnglishName given to someone who lived by a ford, possibly the official who maintained it. A famous bearer was the American industrialist Henry Ford (1863-1947).
Fox EnglishFrom the name of the animal. It was originally a nickname for a person with red hair or a crafty person.
Freeman EnglishReferred to a person who was born free, or in other words was not a serf.
French EnglishOriginally denoted a French person, from Middle English
Frensch, Old English
Frencisc.
Frost English, GermanFrom Old English and Old High German meaning
"frost", a nickname for a person who had a cold personality or a white beard.
Fry EnglishFrom Old English
frig (a variant of
freo) meaning
"free".
Fulton EnglishFrom the name of the English town of Foulden, Norfolk, meaning "bird hill" in Old English.
Glass English, GermanFrom Old English
glæs or Old High German
glas meaning
"glass". This was an occupational name for a glass blower or glazier.
Glazier EnglishMeans
"glass worker, glazier", from Old English
glæs meaning "glass".
Gold English, German, JewishFrom Old English and Old High German
gold meaning
"gold", an occupational name for someone who worked with gold or a nickname for someone with yellow hair. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.
Good EnglishFrom a nickname meaning
"good", referring to a kindly person.
Graham Scottish, EnglishDerived from the English place name
Grantham, which probably meant "gravelly homestead" in Old English. The surname was first taken to Scotland in the 12th century by William de Graham.
Gray EnglishFrom a nickname for a person who had grey hair or grey clothes.
Green EnglishDescriptive name for someone who often wore the colour green or someone who lived near the village green.
Greenwood EnglishTopographic name for someone who lived in or near a lush forest, from Old English
grene "green" and
wudu "wood".
Groves EnglishFrom Old English
graf meaning
"grove". This originally indicated a person who lived near a grove (a group of trees).
Haden EnglishFrom a place name derived from Old English
hæþ "heath" and
dun "hill".
Hale EnglishDerived from Old English
halh meaning
"nook, recess, hollow".
Haley EnglishFrom the name of an English town meaning "hay clearing", from Old English
heg "hay" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Hambleton EnglishFrom various English place names, derived from Old English
hamel "crooked, mutilated" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Hamilton English, ScottishFrom an English place name, derived from Old English
hamel "crooked, mutilated" and
dun "hill". This was the name of a town in Leicestershire, England (which no longer exists).
Hampton EnglishFrom the name of multiple towns in England, derived from Old English
ham "home" or
ham "water meadow, enclosure" and
tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Hanley EnglishFrom various English place names meaning
"high meadow" in Old English.
Harden EnglishFrom a place name meaning "hare valley" in Old English.
Harding EnglishDerived from the given name
Heard. A famous bearer was American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).
Harford EnglishHabitational name from places called Harford in Gloucestershire and Devon, meaning "hart ford" or "army ford".
Harland EnglishFrom various place names meaning
"hare land" in Old English.
Harley EnglishDerived from a place name meaning "hare clearing", from Old English
hara "hare" or
hær "rock, heap of stones" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Harlow EnglishHabitational name derived from a number of locations named Harlow, from Old English
hær "rock, heap of stones" or
here "army", combined with
hlaw "hill".
Harrelson EnglishMeans
"son of Harold". A famous bearer of this surname is the American actor Woody Harrelson (1961-).
Hart EnglishMeans
"male deer". It was originally acquired by a person who lived in a place frequented by harts, or bore some resemblance to a hart.
Hartley EnglishHabitational name for someone originally from any of the various locations in England named Hartley, from Old English
heorot "hart, male deer" and
leah "woodland, clearing".
Hathaway EnglishHabitational name for someone who lived near a path across a heath, from Old English
hæþ "heath" and
weg "way".
Hawk EnglishOriginally a nickname for a person who had a hawk-like appearance or who acted in a fierce manner, derived from Old English
hafoc "hawk".
Hawking EnglishFrom a diminutive of
Hawk. A famous bearer was the British physicist Stephen Hawking (1942-2018).
Hawthorne EnglishDenoted a person who lived near a hawthorn bush, a word derived from Old English
hagaþorn, from
haga meaning "enclosure, yard" and
þorn meaning "thorn bush". A famous bearer was the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), author of
The Scarlet Letter.
Hayden 1 EnglishFrom place names meaning either
"hay valley" or
"hay hill", derived from Old English
heg "hay" and
denu "valley" or
dun "hill".
Hayes 1 EnglishFrom various English place names that were derived from Old English
hæg meaning
"enclosure, fence". A famous bearer was American President Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893).
Hayter EnglishName for a person who lived on a hill, from Middle English
heyt meaning
"height".
Hayward EnglishOccupational name for a person who protected an enclosed forest, from Old English
hæg "enclosure, fence" and
weard "guard".
Haywood EnglishFrom various place names meaning "fenced wood" in Old English.
Head EnglishFrom Middle English
hed meaning
"head", from Old English
heafod. It may have referred to a person who had a peculiar head, who lived near the head of a river or valley, or who served as the village headman.
Headley EnglishFrom place names meaning "heather clearing" in Old English.
Heath EnglishOriginally belonged to a person who was a dweller on the heath or open land.
Hepburn English, ScottishFrom northern English place names meaning
"high burial mound" in Old English. It was borne by Mary Queen of Scot's infamous third husband, James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwall. Other famous bearers include the actresses Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) and Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993).
Hill EnglishOriginally given to a person who lived on or near a hill, derived from Old English
hyll.
Hillam EnglishFrom English places by this name, derived from Old English
hyll meaning
"hill".
Hilton EnglishFrom various English place names derived from Old English
hyll "hill" and
tun "enclosure, town". Famous bearers of this name include the Hilton family of hotel heirs.
Hoggard EnglishOccupational name meaning
"pig herder", from Old English
hogg "hog" and
hierde "herdsman, guardian".
Holden EnglishFrom various English place names, derived from Old English
hol "hollow, sunken, deep" and
denu "valley".
Holland 1 EnglishFrom various English places of this name, derived from Old English
hoh "point of land, heel" and
land "land".
Hollins EnglishReferred to someone living by a group of holly trees, from Old English
holegn.
Holloway EnglishFrom the name of various English places, derived from Old English
hol "hollow, sunken, deep" and
weg "path, way".
Holme English, ScottishReferred either to someone living by a small island (northern Middle English
holm, from Old Norse
holmr) or near a holly tree (Middle English
holm, from Old English
holegn).
Holmes English, ScottishVariant of
Holme. A famous fictional bearer was Sherlock Holmes, a detective in Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery stories beginning in 1887.
Homewood EnglishFrom various place names derived from Old English
ham meaning "home" and
wudu meaning "wood".
Hood EnglishMetonymic occupational name for a maker of hoods or a nickname for someone who wore a distinctive hood, from Old English
hod.
Hooker EnglishOriginally applied to one who lived near a river bend or corner of some natural feature, from Old English
hoc "angle, hook".
Horn English, German, Norwegian, DanishFrom the Old English, Old High German and Old Norse word
horn meaning
"horn". This was an occupational name for one who carved objects out of horn or who played a horn, or a person who lived near a horn-shaped geographical feature, such as a mountain or a bend in a river.